Jonathan Law Students Named Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists

Milford CT

08 December, 2021

6:37 PM

Description

Press release from Milford Public Schools: Dec. 8, 2021 The Milford Public School district is pleased to announce Diya Daruka and Mackenzie Powers, both seniors at Jonathan Law High School, have been named as semifinalists in the 2022 Coca-Cola Scholar Program. The Coca-Cola Corporation received more than 68,000 applications from students across the country with only 2% of those named as semi-finalists. In Connecticut, a total of 17 students were awarded semi-finalist status in the competition and were selected based on their academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. Daruka and Powers are putting the final touches on their semi-finalist submission packets in the hopes of advancing in the selection process. At the completion of the semi-finalist review, 250 will advance as regional finalists, with 150 becoming Coca-Cola Scholars. Each student named as a Coca-Cola Scholar will receive a $20,000 college scholarship. Diya Daruka has successfully completed a wide range of rigorous courses during her time at Jonathan Law and currently ranks first in the Class of 2022. She was named a recipient of the National Merit Scholarship earlier this fall. She has deeply engaged with the school community, serving as president of the Math National Honor Society, vice president of the Science Club, and treasurer for the school's Key Club, to name a few. She also holds a seat on the national board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and serves as president of the Keystone Club, a group that provides leadership opportunities for teens. She will also serve as captain of the Girls Varsity Tennis Team in the spring. Beyond her work at Law, Diya founded her own non-profit Financial Literacy program whereby she teaches students in grades 6-12 the "ins and outs" of saving, financial decision-making, college and retirement planning and personal money management. She has reached more than 150 students through the program so far and plans to continue this work into the future. Diya has completed college entrance applications to Boston College and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, with others in the works. She hopes to pursue a degree in finance/investment banking and analytics. She would like to start her own impact investing firm some day. Mackenzie Powers has also been an exemplary student while at Jonathan Law, with a stellar academic record to show for the past four years. In addition to her studies, Mackenzie has embedded herself into the school community, serving as the vice president of the school's Natural Helpers Club and the secretary of the National Honor Society. She currently leads the Girls Varsity Gymnastics Team as captain and will also serve as captain of the Girls Outdoor Track Team in the spring. Mackenzie is well-known throughout the Milford community as the founder of Mackenzie's Beach Clean-Up project, an effort she began at age 4 and is now in its 14th year. Through her leadership, she organizes the annual event including the procurement of volunteers, arranges for supplies, and handles the public relations surrounding her beach clean-ups. Her program primarily targets Walnut Beach, Silver Sands, and Gulf Beach. In 2019, more than 200 volunteers joined the effort, removing more than 1,200 pounds of trash from Milford's beaches. It should come as no surprise that Mackenzie hopes to pursue a degree in environmental biology where she may continue her work on these issues, globally. She currently has submitted applications to Susquehanna University, University of Denver, Tulane University, and Stetson University, to name a few. We are proud of the work our students in Milford accomplish, day-in and day-out. Good luck, Diya and Mackenzie! This press release was produced by Milford Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.